1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for an Internet Caller-ID Delivery Plus Service, and more particularly, to a method and apparatus allowing for the identification of and communication with a telephone caller over the Internet.
2. Description of the Art
Subscribers of telecommunication service providers are expecting, and in fact demanding, new and better customer services that are easier to use. As use of the Internet has grown, subscribers are now demanding the same telephone services they enjoy over the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) be available over the Internet as well. This has pushed telecommunication providers to provide services to their subscribers which make telecommunication contact easier and better even in the Internet realm.
As telecommunication service providers seek to provide these new services, new techniques need to be developed. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,473,677, issued Dec. 5, 1995 to D""Amato et al., which is hereby incorporated by reference, relates to providing real-time call control within a telecommunications network. Real-time call control is provided using a call selection processor which is separate from the switches that carry the call. The call selection processor responds to in-coming calls and uses information carried in the associated signaling messages to determine what application processor, if any, should be involved on the call. This permits selected calls to be differentiated from other calls so as to allow the selected calls to receive special treatment.
In enabling selected calls to be differentiated for special treatment, such features as call waiting have been implemented over the Internet. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 5,805,587, issued Sep. 8, 1998 to Noris et al., relates to alerting a service subscriber whose telephone is connected to the Internet of a waiting call via that Internet connection. A waiting call to a subscriber may be forwarded via the public switched network to a services platform which in turn establishes a connection to the subscriber using the Internet. A platform then notifies the subscriber of the waiting call via the Internet connection. The platform may then forward the telephone call to the subscriber via the Internet responsive to a subscriber request to do so without interrupting the subscriber""s Internet connection.
In addition to additional services such as call waiting, many subscribers of telecommunication service providers want Caller-ID. This is especially true in regard to the use of the service over the Internet. An attempt at providing this type of service was made in U.S. Pat. No. 5,724,412, issued Mar. 3, 1998 to Srinivasan, which relates to providing a telephone service subscriber with Internet information related to a caller attempting to call the subscriber. Identification information relating to the caller is provided to the called party via the Internet after a caller has attempted to reach the called party. However, while providing the subscriber with the caller""s information via the Internet, this patent only offers limited service and does not provide for attempting to reach the subscriber via alternative phone numbers nor does it allow for contact of the caller via the Internet by the subscriber by use of a click-to-dial pop-up window after such delivery of identification information.
Thus, it can be seen that while some services have been successfully provided and implemented, such as the call waiting service, other services, such as the Caller-ID service, still leave a lot to be desired and need to be integrated by the telecommunication server providers in a fashion that is usable and convenient for the service subscribers.
Accordingly, the present invention provides a method and apparatus for an Internet Caller-ID Delivery Plus Service. Upon receipt of a telephone call by a long-distance provider originating switch, the telephone call having been routed to the long-distance provider originating switch by a local exchange carrier in the area from which the telephone call was placed, the long distance provider originating switch will attempt to contact the service subscriber via the primary telephone number (i.e., the telephone number the caller has dialed) and any alternative telephone numbers associated with the service subscriber. In this manner, the present invention provides the service subscriber with a Find Me! Service.
If attempts to reach the service subscriber via the telephone fail, the present invention provides the service subscriber with an Internet Caller-ID Delivery Plus Service. The long-distance provider originating switch will contact a service control point requesting an initiation of the Internet caller-ID delivery. In response, the service control point contacts a web service control point associated with the service subscriber""s Internet presence. The web service control point contacts the service subscriber""s Internet Service Provider (ISP), and depending upon the service subscriber""s Internet on-line status (i.e., whether the subscriber is on-line or not), will either deliver a pop-up Click-to-Dial Caller-ID window message or an E-Mail message identifying the caller.
The present invention, including its features and advantages, will become more apparent from the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings.